Critics swoop on new Daily Show host's tweets

Comedy Central have backed newly-appointed Daily Show host Trevor Noah after a handful of his Tweets caused a storm of online protest.

About half a dozen of the South African comedian’s jokes concerning Jewish people and women were seized upon by critics as making him unsuitable to replace Jon Stewart.

However the broadcaster said: ‘Like many comedians, Trevor Noah pushes boundaries; he is provocative and spares no one, himself included. To judge him or his comedy based on a handful of jokes is unfair. Trevor is a talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.’

Noah himself said: ‘To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.’

Roseanne Barr was among those who slammed the Soweto-born comic, tweeting: ‘U should cease sexist & anti semitic 'humor' about jewish women & Israel’ and posting links to blogs such as one entitled Does Jon Stewart's Replacement, Trevor Noah, Have a Jewish Problem?

She also retweeted Harold Herskowitz, who claimed: ‘What @Trevornoah is saying is not ironic,or even humorous, it comes from hate.’

Among the tweets causing concern is was from 2009 which said: ‘Almost bumped a Jewish kid crossing the road. He didn't look b4 crossing but I still would hav felt so bad in my german car!’

And in 2011, he wrote: ‘“Oh yeah the weekend. People are gonna get drunk & think that I'm sexy!"Fat chicks everywhere.’

Before the storm, Stewart – who is Jewish – praised Noah as ‘a tremendous comic and talent’.

Published: 1 Apr 2015